Back Surgery: When Is It The Right Option For You?

Hello friends,

Have you or a loved one been told that back surgery is
the only option left? Have you already had spinal surgery
just to find limited pain relief — or even more back pain
than ever?

For over a decade I've helped thousands of people faced
with the prospect of back surgery. And more often than
not I've been able to help them find relief from back pain
by correcting the root cause of their back pain without
life-altering surgery or drugs.

Now I'm not going to sit here and tell you to cancel your
surgery or even tell you the surgery you already had
was a mistake. That's a personal decision only you can
make.

Once you have surgery, everything changes. You'll never
be the same, even if the surgery is a success. So what I
will do is give you options. In this article I'll share facts
about spinal surgery and important questions to ask your
doctor so you can make a fully informed decision. If you
decide to have the surgery they will help ensure the best
possible long-term outcome.

Why does my back hurt?

Outside of trauma, back pain doesn't happen overnight.
Back pain is more commonly the symptom of a long-term
condition known as "postural dysfunction." This simply
means there is an abnormal curvature of the spine or
abnormal positioning of the pelvis.

Everyone has varying degrees of postural imbalances as
different muscles grow weaker or stronger, and more
flexible or tight in relation to each other. Postural
dysfunctions occur over time when these imbalances
are not identified and corrected.

Postural dysfunctions cause increased wear and tear on
the joints, muscles, ligaments, and discs in your back.
Over time your back weakens until it can no longer
properly support itself and nerves in your spinal column
are suddenly and painfully pressured or pinched.

What spinal surgery does...

While there are a dozen or so different types of surgical
procedures for back pain, all of them attempt to do one
of two things: remove the pressure on the nerve or stabilize
the spine.

Consider the case of a herniated disc. You have pain
because the disc is pressing on a nerve. Your doctor may
tell you the only thing he can do is remove the part of the
disc that's pressing on the nerve.

At first thought, this might sound like good news. Take
the pressure off the nerve and it's goodbye pain!
Unfortunately it's not quite that simple. Think of it like the
wheels on a car. When your car gets out of alignment,
your tires wear unevenly. The areas on the tire receiving
extra pressure due to the imbalance wear away much
faster than normal. Left unchecked, a sudden catastrophic
blowout may be in your future.

If you replace the tires, but leave the alignment uncorrected,
it won't be long until you have the same problem with the
new tires. Until you fix the cause of the problem, the
symptoms will keep recurring.

The same thing applies to your spine. No matter how many
surgeries you have, until you correct the underlying cause
of the imbalances weakening your back, you will continue
experiencing spinal degeneration — and as time goes on,
more pain.

This is why I consider back surgery an extreme approach
to dealing with non-trauma related back pain. Besides the
fact that spinal surgery alone will not correct muscle
imbalances, there are other issues to contend with during
recovery that can be counterproductive to your pain
reduction goals.

Recovery after back surgery...

Post-surgical recovery is an area too frequently glossed
over during the decision making process leading to an
operation. You will want to consider the risks and difficulties
of recovery as part of an informed decision.

Following back surgery, your body will go through a normal
recovery process including significant pain and awkward
movement for even simple daily tasks. Because your body
is contorting itself to avoid pain during this recovery phase,
additional stress is placed on other areas of your body —
particular above and below the site of surgery and in other
joints such as the hips or sacroiliac (SI).

All surgeries produce scar tissue. As your body heals
there is a real possibility that the scar tissue itself can
build up to the point that it makes contact with the nerve,
causing as much pain as if the disc itself were still putting
pressure on the nerve.

Your most important consideration before agreeing to
surgery should be rehab. The rehab you're likely to
receive after the operation will only address postoperative
pain. Therapists will use soothing modalities and work with
you to improve your functional skills, particularly activities
of daily living such as bathing, dressing and going to the
bathroom.

Your back surgery pre-op checklist...

Don't assume your rehab will cover all necessary long-term
recovery activities automatically. The simple principle of
getting our bodies back into balance, or proper alignment,
so they can function normally again is rarely acted upon
by the traditional medical community. In fact, your doctor
may not even be familiar with postural dysfunctions as
they are not taught in many traditional medical schools.

Most insurance companies only pay for getting rid of
symptoms ASAP. Their focus is only on moving you
through the health care system at minimal cost to them.
As a result, if you decide to have back surgery, it is
critical that you protect yourself from inadequate
rehabilitation support by demanding that your healthcare
provider and insurance company will address both
short-term and long-term goals before agreeing to the
procedure.

First, be sure a physical therapist will identify any postural
dysfunctions including abnormal curvature of the spine or
abnormal positioning of the pelvis. Specifically, insist they
explain exactly how your muscles are out of balance,
which muscles are strong or weak, and how they are
flexible or tight in relation to each other. Have them write
everything down as part of your long-term care plan and
ask for a copy.

Then have them respond to the following five questions
so you can properly address any postural dysfunctions
that remain following the surgery:

1. Which postural dysfunction did you identify?
2. How would you describe the curvature of my spine
from top to bottom?
3. How would you describe the position of my pelvis
(level or tipping)?
4. Can you please note for me, specifically, my muscle
imbalances?
5. Please write down for me which muscles I need to
stretch and which ones I need to strengthen; also,
please explain what each muscle group does so I
know I'm doing the correct set of exercises.

Effective alternatives to back surgery...

Fortunately most back pain sufferers can get relief without
resorting to surgery. By identifying and addressing the
underlying muscle imbalances and postural dysfunctions
behind their back pain, many back pain sufferers can get
better results without surgery and avoid the inherent risks.

In fact, if you're still considering surgery, I'd recommend
finding a qualified therapist first and ask the same five
questions above. Using this information, give yourself 60
days to work on stretching and strengthening before
making a final decision on surgery. You stand a strong
chance of eliminating your back pain altogether — with no
surgery and much lower medical bills!

One final word on surgical outcomes. Back pain surgery is
the only category of surgery that actually has a clinical term
for failure — Failed Back Surgery Syndrome. Unless the
underlying causes of your back pain such as muscle
imbalances are addressed, chances are high that you
won't experience long-term pain relief (I define long-term
as more than five years).

To learn specific ways you can get lasting relief from
back pain without surgery, read the free book that's
available here http://www.losethebackpain.com/

Hope this is some good information,

Jorma Persson